The introduction of digital video recorders has made time-shifting of video content easy for many home entertainment system users. Time-shifting of video content allows a user to “pause” the reception of the video content by directing the video content to a video recorder while maintaining an instantaneous image of the video content on a television or other video device. The digital video recorder continues to receive the video content, and “spools” the video content onto the digital video recorder. When the user later resumes viewing, the digital video recorder continues receive video content and to spool the video content onto the digital video recorder, but presents the video content from a point at which the user had paused the reception. In other words, the user plays content that is delayed with respect to the video content being spooled.
While a user is enjoying home entertainment by watching a television program, listening to a broadcast over a stereo system, or watching streaming video over the Internet, events can occur that demand the user's attention. A telephone or doorbell may ring and demand the user's attention. A kitchen timer may signal that dinner is ready, or a washing machine may complete a wash cycle. When such events occur, the user typically pauses the video content (initiating time-shifting) and later resumes viewing. Like digital video recorders, smart appliances have found their way into the home and made life more convenient for users. Smart appliances, such as an oven or a washing machine that are coupled to the Internet or to a LAN (local area network) within a home, may be programmed to begin and end over the internet or LAN. Smart appliances can initiate processes and can exchange information over the Internet or LAN.
Another technology is the enhanced content found in web-based content. Enhanced content can invoke processes, such as opening a web browser, on a client computer system. Enhanced content may also be embedded within an email message. When an email reader or web browser detects enhanced content, the email reader or web browser responds by initiating the process identified in the enhanced content. Also, it is known to have events embedded in broadcast television signals.
However, the digital video recorder generally has a “pause” button on a remote control to initiate a “pause” function. The remote control requires the user to press the pause button to initiate the pause function. This can be a problem for users who do not happen to be near the remote control when the event occurs.